A proposed road through Petroglyph National Monument
in Albuquerque continues to be paved with controversy. The latest
round features a standoff between Sen. Pete Domenici, R-N.M., and
Pueblo Indian leaders.
Domenici, who met
recently with the Pueblos for the first time since proposing the
bill in April, says the road would reduce traffic congestion around
the monument, where the effects of Albuquerque’s expansion are
being felt (HCN, 1/20/97).
But the Indians say
the road will destroy some of the park’s 15,000 petroglyphs. “We
want to be able to respect and preserve some of the sacredness (of
the monument),” says Steve Juanico, the Pueblo Council’s vice
chairman.
The bill calls for an 8.5 acre cut in
the Boca Negra section of the canyon for a four- to six-lane
corridor. Citing the high cost of alternatives, Domenici says the
bill is the only proposal which reflects the “interests of the
monument and the community as a whole.”
* Jamie
Murray
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Petroglyphs and pavement collide.
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